Skip to main content

EGO

Photo by: Tim Bindner

I am addicted to my thoughts. I need to realize I am not just my mind. I am conditioned to think my mind is who I am and that my past defines what I will be forever.

Thoughts about myself are my EGO, and my EGO does whatever it needs to do to protect me.

My mind is at risk if my thoughts are challenged or proven wrong.  When challenged or proven wrong, my identity is broken and I become angry or defensive.

By understanding I am not my thoughts, I can detach myself from the limits of my EGO. My true self incorporates my mind, but my mind is not my sole existence.

I am learning to separate myself from my thoughts after only listening to them.  I must observe my thoughts, don’t judge them (a thinking act), acknowledge them, and let them pass.

“The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not “the thinker.” The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated. You then begin to realize that there is a vast realm of intelligence beyond thought, that thought is only a tiny aspect of that intelligence. You also realize that all the things that truly matter – beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace–arise from beyond the mind. You begin to awaken.”–Eckhart Tolle.

I am learning to be conscious of the now.  Living in the moment.  Experience what is happening around me and not judging what is happening.

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” – Eckhart Tolle.

When negativity enters my mind, I must ask myself am I being present or are experiences or thoughts of a future I cannot control guiding me?  Am I being present?

This is a simple concept, but difficult to do.  Try to take a moment and not think.  Easy, right?  No.  But that common practice will help me get my body and mind to the existence of living in the moment and now in my head.

As a photographer, I have already mastered the ability to observe what is around me.  It is the analysis of what I see where I struggle.  That is the task I plan to work on.  If successful I hope to achieve inner peace.

Until next time,

Tim (a. k. a. Kilmer)

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Love to get your feedback on what you read!

Popular posts from this blog

Mentor

  When my photography journey rekindled back in 2015 with a trip to Maine, I never knew how far I would come and how important pushing a button on a camera would be. I have come a long way, but still have so much more to learn. A mentor is described as an experienced and trusted adviser (noun) . Also, as someone who will advise or train (someone, especially a younger  colleague ) (verb). Wikipedia also states mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person.  Since I have gotten more serious about my photography, I have been looking for a mentor that fits these categories listed above. Seeking guidance, I reached out to a handful of “professional” photographers to inquire about mentorship. I received no response from one person, another person casually mentioned that they rarely mentor, and a third person kindly explained that they ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nobody's Listening

  I recently had conversations with two people I know that had experienced a sudden rash of acute anxiety. One was medication related, the other was situational. Both stated that they now had a better understanding of what I have been dealing with. With the recent changes to my medication, Although I still feel anxiety, it no longer takes control of my emotions like it did in the past. However, I know acutely that it still lurks on the fringes, patiently awaiting its chance to pounce on me. During my recent visit to Dr. Erin, she assigned me an exercise where I had to jot down three things each day that I felt I excelled at. This is proving to be difficult for me. The parameters are straightforward and easy to understand. “Anything I do well that day,” she said. As I continued with this exercise, I began thinking of a song by Linkin Par called Nobody’s Listening. I got a heart full of pain, head full of stress Handful of anger held in my chest And everything left’s a wast...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tested

  Life is a series of tests, pushing us to our limits and forcing us to grow. All blessings originate from a God, yet they manifest through different circumstances, encounters, and individuals. Throughout the past six weeks, I have encountered a myriad of these tests. This is part of the reason I have not written in a while - the constant distractions that have consumed my time and focus. Balancing my mental state and warding off anxiety has consumed my attention, leaving no room to articulate my thoughts through writing. My journey began recently when, with the advice of a medical professional, I began taking Trintellix at its lowest dose of 5mg per day. Gradually I increased to 10mg a day and now am at 20mg a day. During this time, my anxiety has lessened quite a bit, but recent events have put this medication to the test. Our initial challenge was to carefully research vans, searching for ones that would be ideal for safely transporting our furry companions. The cramped spac...
Post a Comment
Read more